Mario Merriweather, a repeat offender with a criminal record spanning three decades, has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for robbing a Burger King restaurant in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. The incident occurred on October 26, 2023, when Merriweather entered the restaurant located just south of the Tennessee-Georgia state line and displayed what appeared to be a pistol.
According to information presented in court, Merriweather ordered an employee to empty the cash register and forced all staff members into a walk-in freezer. One employee managed to prevent the freezer from locking using his foot while another called 911. An armed employee then pursued Merriweather outside. When Merriweather turned and pointed what seemed to be a firearm at him, the employee fired two shots but did not hit Merriweather.
Merriweather fled but collapsed near his vehicle. Officers arriving at the scene found him lying on his back next to an air pistol and recovered a Burger King bag filled with cash.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg commented on the sentencing: “Undeterred by multiple stints in state prison, Merriweather repeatedly terrorized victims who were simply trying to go about their jobs. His most recent attack on a Burger King restaurant has resulted in a significant sentence that demonstrates that criminals who try to ‘have it their way’ by robbing citizens in this District will be held accountable and removed from the community.”
Mitchell Jackson, Special Supervisory Resident Agent of FBI Georgia’s Cartersville office, stated: “No one should ever be terrorized physically or emotionally, like the victims in these violent armed robberies were. The FBI is proud to work with our local law enforcement partners in helping to convict these repeat offenders at the federal level, where they face stiffer penalties and no opportunity for parole.”
Court records show that Merriweather had previous convictions for robberies at Wendy’s and Burger King restaurants in 2001, two robberies involving individuals in 2005, and two bank robberies in 2013.
U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II sentenced Merriweather to 11 years of federal imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty on August 14, 2025, to interference with interstate commerce by robbery.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin A. Leipold III prosecuted it.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia serves as the principal federal law enforcement agency for north Georgia—a region covering about 7.5 million residents across areas including Atlanta suburbs and borders with Alabama and Carolina states—handling both criminal prosecutions and civil cases for the United States while partnering with other agencies on issues such as terrorism and drug trafficking (official website). Theodore S. Hertzberg holds the position of United States Attorney for this district (official website).
For more information about this case or related matters handled by this office, contact details are available through its website.
